Dracula, trovanta, the creepy hoya-bacu forest and other interesting facts about romania, bucharest and romanians. Bucharest is a city you don't want to return to Bucharest interesting facts

I lived in Bucharest for about a week, and during these days I walked around with a camera almost the entire city center, and also visited the outskirts of the city in. Talking about general impressions about the city - I didn't like Bucharest at all, it contrasts very much with the rest of Romania, differing from it not for the better.

So, in this post - a story about Bucharest, as I saw it in the fall of 2016.

02. First, a few words about the architecture of the city. Many people consider the architecture of Bucharest to be something outstanding, but I did not like it - perhaps it is the poor condition of the buildings, as well as the mixture of architectural styles. In some places in the city come across beautiful old buildings in the Art Nouveau or eclectic style:

03. But most often they are adjacent to nondescript buildings from the time of Ceausescu, because of which they somehow get lost and fade. Typical buildings from the Ceausescu era look like the house in the middle of this frame - a narrow strip of open balconies in the middle of the building and the obligatory arcade or rotunda on the roof.

04. These are also very typical Romanian projects - a colonnade on the ground floor, a large number of balconies, superstructures on the roof. These projects are still nothing, but often buildings built in the 70s look inconspicuous and shapeless.

05. Another urban problem is the external condition of buildings. Look, this is a rather interesting building, but pay attention to the state of the building - it has not been cleaned or plastered since the time of Tsar Pea.

06. From the windows of my apartment there was a view of the United Nations Square - one of the central squares of Bucharest. The square is built up with quite interesting buildings - on the left there is already a post-war project, and two buildings to the right are old, pre-war ones.

07. The same buildings from a different angle. The architecture is expressive, but very quickly boring to the eye due to the abundance of non-functional details. The general feeling of Bucharest's architecture can be compared to the taste of Chinese fast food - at first it seems that it is tasty, but already on the third day it becomes terribly boring.

08. And this is what typical residential buildings look like outside the city center. The projects are similar to those in Minsk, except for the height of the windows - in Romanian buildings the windows are very small, often no more than a meter high.

09. Perhaps most of all from the urban architecture I liked some buildings of the interwar period - they bear the features of typical Romanian projects, but at the same time they look strict and stylish - for example, this hotel building with very beautiful rounded balconies.

10. Surprisingly, but so beautiful hotel almost in the very center of the city, it is now abandoned, and abandoned for a long time - even small trees have grown on the balconies. I hope that in the end there will be an investor and will restore such a wonderful building.

11. Separate pre-war buildings also look more or less good - some projects resemble Lviv and Vienna.

12. Another architectural interest - in Bucharest there are many buildings that resemble Russian pre-revolutionary projects, but here they were built in the period 20-40. In fact, those architectural styles, as well as building codes and regulations, which disappeared in Russia (and the countries of the former USSR) in 1917-1918, continued to exist here right up to the 1940s.

In Bucharest, you can often find a house built in the 1930s, which at the same time will resemble a Russian pre-revolutionary one - with a huge entrance, spacious multi-room apartments and ceilings of 4 meters.

13. However, like other buildings in the city center, many of these houses are in poor condition. For example, the entrance beautiful house 1930s - the doors are wide open, the entrance is literally pissed off, there are puddles on the floor.

14. And this is what the courtyard of the house looks like - apparently, rubbish is thrown right out of the windows.

15. And the inhabitants of this house in some places attach some unimaginable structures to the windows. What is this? Greenhouse, seaming warehouse, chicken coop?

16. It's a pity that such beautiful house is in this state ...

17. Bucharest is literally a city of contrasts. Here on the left side of the frame is a very coolly restored building - with restored stucco, new forged balconies and wooden windows. And right there on the right - the terrible ruins, from where it pulls with perennial dampness and decay.

18. Or, you see a beautiful and clean alley where everything is sparkling, café tables are standing and people are resting?

19. It is worth taking literally 10 steps back, as you will see an abandoned building with black windows and everything painted with clumsy "tags". Optionally, a homeless person can sleep on the porch - the neighborhood of glitz and poverty here does not surprise anyone.

20. But such a dump can be at the corner of the house, after 5 meters from which there will be an entrance to an expensive restaurant.

21. The examples of the urban environment in Bucharest show very well how the “rule of broken windows” works. Who does not know what it is, I will briefly retell - the spattered and dirty environment tends to increase, as people unconsciously begin to perceive it as a norm. For example, at a stop thrown with cigarette butts, a cigarette butt will be thrown to the ground even by someone who otherwise would have carried it to the trash can.

Here's a good example - there is an old electrical cabinet. The cabinet has not been painted for a long time, it peeled off and covered with dirt. Then someone opened the doors and tried to rip off the "Dangerous Voltage" sign, which made the cabinet look even more dented. And now everyone perceives the closet as a trash heap - abandoned cigarette butts and cups begin to appear around.

22. Here's another good example - a car drove into the decorative side of a fountain in the center of the city, breaking a fence and leaving fragments of a bumper. No one has removed the trash, and now empty bottles and cigarette butts are beginning to appear around - everyone began to perceive this place as a trash heap.

23. And here's another example - an old telephone booth. At first it was covered with advertisements from head to toe, then the glass was flapped. Someone threw a couple of bulls and glasses, and now the booth has turned into a real garbage dump, where they literally bring bags of garbage. And alongside on the wall crooked scribbles of "tags" began to appear.

24. Interestingly, people do not litter everywhere, for example, neighborhoods in the center, where order and cleanliness are maintained. In such an environment, people are more likely to try to carry a bottle or glass to the trash can than to throw it on the ground.

25. According to my observations, such a situation with garbage and dirt does not bother the residents of the city much - they simply do not notice it and are perceived as part of the urban background. Even the residents of a prestigious building in the center are not embarrassed by the façade spattered and painted with graffiti:

26. A gateway in such a prestigious central house might look like this:

27. And in the center of Bucharest you can see quite a lot of abandoned shops, moreover, abandoned for a very long time - judging by the design, this shop has not been working almost since the time of Ceausescu:

28. So, now we need to write about something good too. There are very cool playgrounds in Bucharest - they are often fenced with fences (so that cars do not park there) and are well equipped. In the city, in some places you come across street parks, which are also very good:

29. The parks have outdoor exercise equipment and free Wi-Fi - something that Minsk is sorely lacking.

30. There are many benches on the streets where older people can rest:

32. And then there are bike paths (though there are very few of them) and they pass only along some central streets:

33. Street trading looks like this -

34. In Bucharest, I liked the machines for the sale of SIM cards with the Internet:

35. And the street bookshops, where books about Dracula are side by side with books about the "great conductor" Ceausescu.

36. But in general - Bucharest is dirty, noisy and crowded Southern City, in which you do not want to return.

Romania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, after the 1989 revolution it is slowly getting back on its feet again.

Romania is a Romanesque island in the midst of the Slavic states; thus, Romanian is the only Balkan language derived from Latin.

The arrival of the long-awaited spring is always beautifully and always cheerfully celebrated in Romania. There is a tradition here to give marsishores - small dolls made independently from red and white threads, they symbolize the victory of heat over cold. It is customary to wear such dolls on clothes throughout the first month - March, and then solemnly cling to trees, mentally wishing that desires come true.

The reign of President Nicolae Ceausescu was based on a grotesque cult of his personality. "A well of wisdom", "the first thinker on this Earth" or "giant of the New time" - these are the titles with which the Romanian ruler liked to call himself and demanded the same from his people. However, only his megalomania and the party building, which pleased historical Center Bucharest. Since coming to power in 1965, Cişescu established a totalitarian regime with the help of the Securitate, an organization like the Gestapo that brutally persecuted all dissent. However, the economic crisis that erupted in 1980 shook the position of the dictator. Hunger and lack of electricity turned the anger of the people against him. Ceausescu reacted in his own way: state radio broadcasting at any time of the year broadcast a weather forecast, which constantly announced an air temperature of about + 20 ° C, so that even in the most severe winters it would not drown too much. If the deception did not work out, the heating lines were simply chopped off at night. The dictator's policy resulted, first of all, in the international isolation of Romania, as well as colossal violations of human rights. During the 1989 revolution, Cişescu was overthrown and, after a closed trial, executed. Recently, a sociological poll was conducted, which showed that now more than 84% of Romanians regret the death of the dictator, and 41% of those polled voted for him in the next elections, if he was alive!

Oskar Schindler, an internationally recognized hero, has been immortalized in history for his great accomplishments. His figure is presented in history as one of the noblest, although the unknown Romanian lawyer Traian Popovic saved many more lives. He was born in small town Suceava, which became a territory of Romania after the First World War, and during the Second World War, this land was under control Austria ... The thought that thousands of innocent people would be killed haunted him, and at the risk of his life, he convinced the Romanian military leader (who supported the Nazis) Yon Antonescu that his city badly needed Jewish workers. The plan worked, the top management gave the go-ahead.

Romania has its own mud volcanoes, in the eastern part of the country, near the town of Buzu, dwarf volcanoes are pouring out of the ground and mud, which some consider to be healing. Sometimes mud discharges are accompanied by oil and water flows.

The capital of Romania - Bucharest has long been famous for its cultural heritage and splendid attractions. That is why the city is often called "Little Paris of the East".

Romanians come mainly from the Dacian people, who settled on the territory of Romania about 2 thousand years BC. Romanians owe their Romanesque roots to the long-term Roman occupation.

In Romania, a new law was passed, which caused outrage in the ranks of the Romanian magicians and clairvoyants, since they do not want to pay taxes to the state on the income from their craft. The law also affects those who are engaged in occultism, predictors of the future, who, for some reason, could not foresee the impending innovations. The new laws came into force on January 1, 2011, and now the services provided by sorcerers and seers are considered official income. Soothsayers and witches, believing that such innovations would bankrupt them, even tried to damage the government.

At one time, the "number one" in the list of the best tennis players in the world was the Romanian - Ilie Nastase.

The discoverer of insulin was probably the Romanian physiology professor Nicolae Paulescu, and not the Canadians Banting and Best, as is commonly believed.

The fountain pen was invented by the Romanian student Poenaru while he was studying in Paris.

A cave in northwestern Romania has become an anthropological treasure that preserves the history of mankind. The discovery made in 2002 showed that people lived on this land even earlier than expected, the age of the found remains is more than 40,000 years (!!!). Bones have features of earlier and later hominid species. This discovery was a real success, it allows us to slightly open the veil of secrecy about where the first people appeared. For example, the mandible found in the cave is from the Neanderthals. Although scientists are not entirely sure about the kinship of modern humans and Neanderthals, some of the bones found indicate that representatives of these two different groups found each other in this cave.

Since 1991 Romania has been a presidential republic. The supreme executive power is vested in the President, while the legislative body is in the National Assembly.

The most popular sport in Romania is football. Throughout its history, the national team has made it to the finals of the World Championship 7 times. And their greatest achievement was the quarterfinals of the 1994 tournament. The Romanian club Steaua in 1986 became the first winner of the Champions League (European Cup) in Eastern Europe.

There are many bears in Romania. Some tourists even buy very expensive tours, where the guide leads the group through the forest and shows how the local clubfoot live in wildlife... Love for this animal is reflected in many aspects - there is even a holiday dedicated to bears, and it is very similar to the famous American Groundhog Day. Before coming out of hibernation, the bear briefly leaves the den for water procedures. And his behavior tells whether winter will continue or spring will come soon.

The first European city to introduce electric street lighting was the Romanian city of Timisoara. It was in Timisoara that trams were born, which were initially pulled by horses.

Transylvania is home to the legendary Count Dracula. The prototype of the character from the novel by Bram Stoker, who became the hero of many vampire films, is a count who lived here in the Middle Ages. Prince Vlad Dracula and his son Vlad Tepes were born here, who in the 15th century killed their enemies by planting them on wooden stakes. They say that those killed on these stakes were put along the road that leads from Snagov (near Bucharest) to Tirgovishte.

The colorful outfits of the Semigorsk Saxons belong to the classic German national costumes. One of the "trademarks" is the richly embroidered upper part of the apron.

The first actor invited to play Tarzan in a Hollywood movie was a Romanian. Johnny Weissmuller, who first played Tarzan, the Ape Man in 1932, was born near Timisoara in Romania.

Romanian Nadia Comaneci is a rhythmic gymnast who was the first in the world to receive a score of 10 points for her performance. She won this top score at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

There are many balneological resorts in the northwest of the historical region of Moldova. The most famous of them is called Slanic-Moldova, it was founded in 1877.

Romanian is very similar to Moldovan. The Romanian language is very strange. It sounds roughly like Spanish, it seems to go back more to Italian, while, yes - yes, shop - shop, shawarma - shawarma, potatoes - potatoes, sour cream - smantana and so on. Children in Romanian will be copies.

Romania is famous for its scientists. For example, Professor of the Faculty of Medicine of Bucharest - Gheorghe Marinescu, was the first in the world to see nerve cells under a microscope. It was a big breakthrough in the history of mankind!

The Voronet Monastery, located in Romania, is considered the Romanian counterpart of the Sistine Chapel due to the murals that adorn it inside and out.

The Carpathians, until now, remain a poorly explored area; nevertheless, it is an ideal place for walks and excursions. The barns of local peasants are often used to accommodate tourists.

There are very few beautiful girls in Romania. If a Romanian woman is beautiful, her fate is practically a foregone conclusion: a rich husband, an even richer lover, yachts, money, career and everything that goes with it.

The narrowest street in Europe, about a meter wide, is located in Romania, in the city of Brasov. The width of this street is just over 100 centimeters.

There is a fun cemetery in Romania. On each cross, funny pictures with verses are drawn, which show the main character traits of the deceased.

Strong alcohol is sold in Romania in ordinary stalls and small shops. At the same time, the supermarket may not have an alcohol department at all.

The architectural expression of the Ceausescu regime in Bucharest is the impressive Palace of the Republic, which served as the dictator's residence. Entire neighborhoods were demolished to make way for the construction of this huge palace with hundreds of luxuriously furnished rooms. The construction was carried out in a strictly nationalist spirit: only Romanians could participate in construction work and create works of art to decorate the palace. Ceausescu did not forget to provide himself with protection in case of war: a huge bunker was built under the palace, which would serve as a reliable refuge for the head of state in the event of an atomic bomb explosion.

Red, yellow and blue are the main colors of the national flag. It is believed that the color red represents the blood of people who fought for their country; yellow is the grain that people eat; blue is blue sky.

In the 17th century, Bucharest was the capital of the Danube principality of Wallachia, and since 1861 it has been the capital of Romania.

Trovants remain a big mystery for scientists. After the rain, these stones, located in Romania, begin to grow like mushrooms. For 2 - 3 rainy months, they can add several hundred kilograms to their weight.

Romanians rarely fly inside the country by airplanes, the main flow of residents travels by rail.

The Romanian national sport is called oina and resembles rounders or baseball.

The second largest glacier in Europe is located in Romania. It's called Scarisoara.

The Palace of the Republic in Bucharest is the second largest administrative building in the world, second only in size to the Pentagon building.

The founder of the musical group "Enigma" is from Romania. Romania is also one of the trendsetters in pop music in Europe.

The communist government limited the size of the living space, introducing as a norm 12 m² per person. The population of Bucharest still suffers from a lack of housing.

There are a lot of gypsies here, but not the kind that we are used to meeting, the inhabitants of Russia in their homeland. Romanian gypsies, although they wear bright clothes, sell all kinds of things on the beaches, sometimes steal, but never touch tourists. The word "police" is like a sacred word for them, and they are very afraid of it.

One fifth of all industrial goods in Romania are produced in Bucharest.

One of scary places in the world - a forest in the center of Transylvania, locals say that it is a portal for the arrival of spirits or aliens.

The world's largest Gothic church is located in Romania, in the same Brasov. It was built for almost a hundred years at the turn of the XIV-XV centuries.

Until 1878, Constanta belonged to Bulgaria , but then the Berlin Congress recognized Romania as independent state... Together with the Dobrudja region, Constanta went to the new kingdom.

Transylvania was first mentioned in a medieval Latin document dated 1075 and called "Ultra Silvam". Ultra means beyond or on the far side, and Silvam means tree or forest.

In the Romanian town of Pecitsa, there is an unusual road sign - "drunk pedestrian", the sign warns drivers that local residents are drunk wandering around at night.

The Carpathians - one of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe - have long been a natural border between
different states. Of the five countries on whose territory the Carpathians are located, only Slovakia and Romania, they represent a significant part of the landscape, and in Ukraine , v Poland and Hungary they are no more than border mountains. Between these countries, the Carpathians stretched in the shape of a crescent from northwest to southeast.

A good dozen Danube tributaries originate in the Carpathians.

Lamb is the basis of most Romanian cuisine.

Interest is aroused by Romanian money - the famous lei, which are made in a special way. This paper money is hard enough to crumple, almost impossible to tear, it can be washed in an automatic machine and nothing will happen to it. This is the kind of material that inventors came up with for money! The leis are printed on special paper, each bill contains a transparent window, which is depicted as an eagle holding a cross in its teeth. When banknotes go out of circulation, they are used for processing into special plastic granules, which then turn into the basis for modern, light and beautiful trash cans.

Romania's entry into the First World war put Kaiser Wilhelm into a state of panic: the Central Powers were practically defeated on both fronts and taken prisoner by British and Russian troops. When the Romanian forces entered the war, they opened up a new line of defense along the Transylvanian border. But, they were few in number and soon began to carry more and more big losses... In addition, Russia plunged into revolution and could no longer provide support. Romania had to surrender, the total losses amounted to about 300,000 soldiers. The coastal territories fell under the control of Austria and Hungary until the end of the war. True, after its completion, the borders were restored and even expanded by the annexation of the notorious Transylvania.

Most tourists coming to Romania strive to get to Transylvania and the castle of this province, known as Bran. It was built in the XIV century.

it the place is considered the residence of the famous Count Dracula, invented by the Irish writer Bram Stoker.

The mysterious place is not the only mystery in the country. On the territory of Romania is located 7 objects world heritage UNESCO.

One of them is the natural Danube Delta. The place where the river flows into the Black Sea is considered one of the most beautiful places Europe.

By its territory, the country is the 9th in Europe, and the 7th by the number. In Romania, you can find a lot of interesting and original things.

The country is considered one of the least criminal, and its presidents can come to the store without security.

For a long time, the Romanian lands were part of the great Roman Empire... Romanians claim that the name of their country has Roman roots.

Majority historical areas in certain periods were part of different states.

The country has a very picturesque nature. The beauty of the Carpathians is hard to overstate. In these mountains there are magnificent beech forests and juniper groves, and on the peaks you can find a large number of stone sculptures that are the creation of time, wind and rain.

The most terrible and mysterious forest in Europe Hoya-Bachu located in the center of Transylvania. Romanians claim that it contains a portal of spirits and aliens.

At least creepy place this land of vampires is Biserika-Neagra Church... Its construction dates back to the 15th century. This is the largest and most famous European church built in the Gothic style.

The second in Europe is and Romanian museum under open air- "Astra" in Sibiu... It includes over 300 historic buildings and structures. Among them are old mills, wine and oil presses.

The most unusual in Europe a fun cemetery located in the Maramures area... On each of his tombstones, a witty comic rhyme is engraved.

In the city of Brasov the narrowest street in Europe is located. Its width is only 100 cm.

According to many tourists who have visited the country, Romania can be safely called an exotic European country.

The Bihor Mountains are home to the second largest glacier in Europe, known as the "Scarisoara"... Its age is estimated at 3,500 years.

The surprising fact is that the territory of the country is constantly increasing in size in a natural way... This land accretion is due to the Danube.

Sand and shells raised by the river waters from the bottom are carried by them to the mouth, expanding its area.

Romanian city of Timisoara became the first in Europe to install street lighting and launch a horse-drawn tram.

Bucharest. Not to be confused with Budapest!

Translated into Russian the name of the capital of Romania means "joy"... The founder of Bucharest was an ordinary Romanian peasant.

In terms of the number of inhabitants, the modern capital of the country is the sixth in the European Union. 1/10 of the total population of the country lives here.

On the streets of the city you can meet people of different nationalities and religions. Many people come to the city to find work in the factories of Bucharest. A third of the country's industrial potential is concentrated here.

In the vicinity of the city is located the old fortress, which was laid by Vlad Tepes himself - a descendant of Count Dracula.

Often tourists visiting the city call it eastern Paris... This is explained by the fact that many buildings were created by Romanian architects who were trained in France and adopted the traditions of its builders and architects.

Modern Bucharest does not have a single look and style. Old buildings alternate with modern buildings.

The city has its own Arc de Triomphe and seven hills, like Rome... The Parliamentary Palace of the capital is the largest building in Europe.

In recent years, the city has become a real capital nightlife Europe. Not only citizens of the EU member states come to have fun in the nightclubs of Bucharest.

Of the 2 million inhabitants of the capital of Romania, 300 thousand people are students.

There are 16 universities in Bucharest... As in the rest of the country, the roads in the city are not of the best quality.

One of the city's attractions is "Rural Museum"... More than 300 peasant houses and other buildings have been collected on its territory. It was the first to receive the title of "best museum of the year".

Bucharest is often confused with the capital of Hungary. At one of his concerts in the Romanian capital, Michael Jackson called it Budapest.

National cuisine of Romania

Romanians are replacing bread with corn tortillas, they are called here hominy. Mititei are very popular among the people- this dish resembles lula kebab.

Romanian sarma is similar to Russian stuffed cabbage... The difference between the Romanian and Russian dishes is that the first version uses grape or sauerkraut leaves.

A traditional Romanian drink is considered tsuika - plum vodka... They drink it hot, add various spices to the drink.

Like Moldovans, Romanians love to make their own homemade wine. Each specialist has his own secrets of making a drink and family recipes.

In public catering, Romanians prefer nourishing food, not expensive and without frills. Most often they eat fast food.

Football fans, gypsies and inventors

Romanians love football the most.... This sport can be safely called a national game. During matches, the streets of the country go quiet, but the pubs fill up.

Romanians love to cheer for their team in a friendly company over a glass of beer. The victory of the favorites ends with massive celebrations. Crowds of fans roam the city with songs and shouts.

A large number of gypsies can be found among the population.... They differ from those that live in Russian cities and towns.

Romanian gypsies wear bright clothes, trade, but they are very much afraid of the police, so they never steal from tourists who come to the country on vacation.

Romanians love clear numbers and big black cars. The most popular car brands in the country are German Mercedes jeeps. They are parked here most often on the sidewalks.

Romanian drivers are not very disciplined. They are big fans of driving into the oncoming lane and driving through a red light.

They almost never let pedestrians pass and are ready to hit them anywhere.

The hospitality of the Romanians resembles the inhabitants of the Caucasus... They are very smart and never panic. No wonder Romania is a country of inventors.

In a multinational country, you can find not only gypsies, Moldovans and Hungarians. A large number of Poles live in Bukovina, and Russian Old Believers settled in the east of the country.

Interesting traditions, habits, holidays

Romanians love and know how to celebrate. They have a large number of folk holidays. The most revered of them "Plugoshor"... It is dedicated to the future harvest and is celebrated on the first day of the New Year.

Christmas in Romania is celebrated in December. They celebrate Easter Monday in the spring and Independence Day in December.

Romanians celebrate the first day of spring especially solemnly (Martisor)... It is believed that this is due to the period of the country's history when it was part of the Roman Empire.

According to the Roman calendar, this day was the beginning of the new year. On this holiday, the inhabitants of the country give each other flowers made of threads of white and red colors.

Romanians also know a large number of rituals. One of them Kaloyan: performed during a drought in order to make it rain.

Dressed up goat is led through the Romanian streets on New Year and Shrovetide. She symbolizes fertility.

On Christmastide they dress up in bear clothes... It serves as a talisman for livestock.

Riddles and mysteries

A large number of stray dogs walk the streets of Bucharest. There is one animal for every 30 residents of the capital.

The country is not famous for its cleanliness and order. But the cheapness of life in the country attracts crowds of tourists here.

In 1999, a large number of foreigners rushed to the country... They all wanted to see the solar eclipse, which was the best to observe in these places.

In honor of this event, the Government of the country issued a note of 2000 Romanian lei.

The outlines of the country depicted on the world map resemble a fish. Near the coast of Romania, you can catch one such - Serpas. When eaten, it can cause hallucinations in a person.

Romanian law allows its citizens to eavesdrop and spy with impunity. But it does not allow the use of video and audio recordings in court.

The most interesting place to visit Romania, Transylvania was and remains... In this area of ​​the country there is the largest number of villages lost in the valleys and amazing buildings in their architecture.

It is very difficult to distinguish truth from fiction in these places. Not all of Dracula's secrets have been solved. The indigenous people of Transselvania do not doubt the veracity of the story of the Count of Darkness.

Trovantes remain a big mystery for scientists... After the rain, these stones, located in this part of the country, begin to grow like mushrooms. In 2-3 rainy months, they can add several hundred kilograms to their weight.

2016-12-01

What do we know about Romania? It is one of the least known countries in Europe. We hear Romanian wall, Romanian gloves, Cotnari wine, Ceausescu and Dracula from Transylvania. But, for sure, many of you still know that the capital of Romania is Bucharest. Today we will go for a walk around the city, because in the last post I told about it quite a bit.

In the Middle Ages, Bucharest was founded by the shepherd-hunter-prince Bucourt, although in ancient times small Dacian villages could be found in the local forests. In 1459 in the annals there was the first mention of Bucharest, in the same year the city became the residence of the Vlach prince Vlad Tepes (who is Dracula). The capital was moved here only in 1698 by Konstantin Brynkovyanin. The city is located in the south of the country, practically on the border with Bulgaria. The name of the city of Bucharest is translated from the Romanian language as "City of Joy".

The population of Bucharest is almost 2 million people, it is the 6th most populous city in Europe. 20% of Romania's GDP comes from Bucharest, unemployment here is only 5%. There are 186,000 registered companies in Bucharest, and the city's economy is quite powerful.

With its extravagant architecture and rugged cultural life, Bucharest was named "East Paris" or "Little Paris". Victory Avenue (Calea Victoriei) is compared to the Champs Elysees, and the Arc de Triomphe in these cities is very similar. In the Middle Ages, it was near this street that the most fashionable and expensive boyar houses were built. Now on Victory Avenue there are some sights of the city and interesting buildings: Museum of Art, Revolution Square, Intercontinental Hotel, Palace of Economics and other interesting buildings.

The Palais de Justice (Curtea de Apel București) reminded me of the Hotel de Ville in Paris.

Due to numerous wars in the Balkans, including during the Second World War, Bucharest was badly damaged and often suffered from fires. During the reign of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, most of the historical part of the city was destroyed, including the old churches, but the magnificent administrative buildings were built. In addition, in 1977, there was a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4, which claimed 1,500 lives and destroyed many ancient buildings. Therefore, do not be surprised when you see many abandoned, unkempt dilapidated buildings in the city. Some of them are decorated with graffiti.

The main attraction of Bucharest is the Parliament building, which Ceausescu decided to build. It is the largest, most expensive and heaviest administrative building in the world, the construction cost of which was € 3 billion. The size of the palace: 240 × 270 m. The height of the building is 86 m (12 floors), and it goes underground for another 92 m. In the palace there are 1100 rooms. About 1 million cubic meters of marble, 3500 tons of crystal, 7000 tons of steel and bronze, 900 thousand cubic meters of wood, 220 thousand square meters of woolen carpets, 5500 tons of cement, 20,000 tons of sand were spent on the construction. 700 architects and designers worked on the construction.

During the revolution, the dictator Ceausescu was overthrown and killed. After these events, the city and the country for a long time could not repay gigantic loans and debts, but after the 2000s, the country's economy began to emerge from the crisis, and in the city we can see significant changes: the restoration of historical districts, the development of transport, an increase in the passenger turnover of the airport by several once.

By the way, about transport. Bucharest metro consists of 4 lines. The day pass is one of the cheapest in Europe; its cost is € 1.80. The entrance to the metro looks wretched, sad, gray, but the trains are brand new: Bombardier and CAF (a Spanish company that makes trains for Renfe).

The city has a well-developed tram and bus network. The buses are brand new Mercedes, but the trams are old.

Few people know, but Bucharest is the center of nightlife not only in the Balkans, but throughout Eastern Europe. Great parties are held here, and on weekends the bars and clubs are crowded. The Dutch, Belgians, British love to come to Bucharest, because it's fun, the prices are low, and the local girls are very beautiful and well-groomed. Low-cost airlines fly here from many European cities, so you can fly to Bucharest from England for only 5 Euros.

Some information about clubs. Player Club is known for its summer parties. Clubs Bamboo, Le Gaga occupy the tops of the best clubs in the world with electronic music. Fratelli, GAIA Boutique Club are boutique clubs. Also known clubs BOA (Beat Of Angels), The ONE, LOFT

Photo from http://www.bambooclub.ro/

In the very center of Bucharest, in the area of ​​the Strada Lipscani pedestrian street (the street is named after German city Leipzig) is home to most of the bars where you can drink and dance. Immediately in the neighborhood you will find pubs, dryers, brothels, eateries and other places of entertainment. Moreover, Bucharest even has a Hard Rock Cafe.

Buildings in Bucharest are very diverse: Gothic, French Baroque, Eclectic, Neo-Romantic buildings.

But what stands out the most is the massive gray buildings built during the communist era from 1947 to 1989. The houses are scary, shabby, impractical. But, fortunately, modern buildings made of glass and metal are already appearing in the city.

In our view, Romania is a backward, poor country from which people leave to work in Western Europe. But, nevertheless, there are 16 state universities in Bucharest, in which more than 300 thousand students study!

In the center of the city, restored monasteries, churches, and ancient buildings constantly come across.

Our walk continues, there won't be much text. In Romania, you can periodically come across reminders that Romania is a descendant of the Roman Empire, even a sculpture of Romulus can be found.

All sorts of trinkets are sold on the streets.

Fruit tents are already a useful business, cherries cost € 2.5.

As I said before, in Bucharest, buildings of various eras and types are intermixed. Here you have both a communist house and a modern glass box, and billboards, which are placed just in the middle of the street, act as a cherry.

Romanians are very fond of big black cars and especially German jeeps Mercedes, BMW, Porsche and Audi. The numbers should also be clear.

The courtyards don't look very nice and are packed with cars.

Dull houses and sidewalk parking. In general, in Bucharest, people calmly drive along the oncoming lane, turn at a red traffic light, and they are ready to crush a person crossing a pedestrian crossing.

Houses along the Dymbovitsa river. There is a lot of greenery and graffiti around.

There are gothic houses with half-facade braces.

It seemed to me that the most common food here is fast food: kebabs, gyros, pizzas, grilled dishes, the food is unpretentious, but hearty and inexpensive. For a couple of Euros you can gorge yourself on local kebabs.

Summing up, I would like to say that it is not worth going to Romania for the sake of Bucharest alone. If you have been to central Europe, then the architecture will not amaze you, broken roads and poor service will not please you. But if you have already covered all of Europe, you want to see the Balkans, the Carpathians, eat inexpensively and visit a couple of three more castles, then Romania is suitable for your next trip. Fortunately, it is safe, quite fun, and from this year you can call in here on Schengen visas and European vouchers.))

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